Are you fertile? Is it a risky time to have unprotected sex or is it the perfect time if you are trying to get pregnant? While knowing your menstrual cycle along with a very left brain analytical process, can certainly help in answering this question, there are also some right brain, "I just feel like I'm fertile," indicators that may signal that you are ovulating and at a prime time for conception.
To begin with, it is important to be familiar with your personal menstrual cycle. Believe it or not, you can only conceive during a small fertile window which occurs 3 days before and the actual day of ovulation. This is the time that a mature egg has been released from the ovary through your fallopian tube and into the uterus making it available to be fertilized by the sperm. Typically this occurs during the middle of your menstrual cycle. Keeping a menstrual calendar and noting the number of days from the first day of one period to the first day of the next will help identify this 3 day window (simple ovulation calendars as well as cell phone apps can be found online). The day of ovulation is usually right around the 14th day after your period. If your timing is perfect, unprotected sex during ovulation results in pregnancy 30% of the time. In general, during the first 5-7 days after your period, the chances of getting pregnant are less than 1% and increase as you get closer to the middle of your menstrual cycle dropping down again a few days before your period.
Another left brain method to find out if you are ovulating, would be to chart your basal body temperature. Just chart your temperature everyday with an oral thermometer for a couple of months and you may notice a time right in between your first and last period that your temperature jumps up at least point four (.4) degrees Fahrenheit. It will stay around that level until you start your period again.
Ok, but let's say you lost track of when you had your last period and you're not sure if you are on the 14th day or the 20th day of your cycle. All of the calculating, numbers and charting your temperature everyday just don't seem to resonate with your right brain thinking. What are the feelings that you should be experiencing? Your body has got to be giving off signals right?
Every woman is different; some are very sensitive to changes in their bodies others have to look a little harder. If you are really sensitive, you may notice that your breasts seem swollen or a bit more tender than usual a couple of weeks after your period or you may even feel a slight spasm or a pain in your lower stomach as the ovary is releasing the egg into the fallopian tubes. The thought may even cross your mind that you are pregnant. You could find that your libido is going crazy and you can't believe how horny you feel. Physically, you might spot a mucus discharge in your underwear or notice that your vagina moisture feels silkier than normal. This is just the natural, amazing process as your reproductive organs are preparing for sperm at the optimal time of conception.
Your body knows exactly when you are at the perfect time for conception. You just need to know how to listen. If you are left brain oriented, chart your menstrual cycle and your basal body temperature and find those fertile days in between your periods. If you are right brain oriented, tune in to your body. Notice the physical changes as you move into ovulation. The more you become aware of these monthly changes, the easier it will be to notice them month after month. Either way, right or left brained, you should easily be able answer the question, "Are you fertile?"
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